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2011-07-16 - Friends, Teammates, and Torches
Superboy leaves his hotel room, a little more excited than even usual. Scary. He tags Eym, stealing em grumpily away from eir music (please don't murder Superboy!), to come see the YJ HQ. He leads the way into the subway. "It needs structural repairs, I'm waiting for Raven's O.K. before I go doing anything, and using the time left until then to research the matter. But it's still HQ. I'm hoping the homeless members of the YJ can move in soon, but we will see." Elizraim was...less than pleased...with the particular timing of this trip, having been in the midst of figuring out a harmony that wasn't quite right yet. Still, fortunately for Superboy, ey still felt ey was fairly far from actually finding the solution to eir troubles. Thus, ey only lectured him as they walked on the proper way of making requests from royalty. At length. That lasted for about half the trip...the remainder, until now, has mostly been muttering in eir native tongue...something probably better left untranslated, in this case. When ey reaches the subway, though, eir eyes go a bit wide. "We...are going down here? With the...the trains?" ey asks, nervously. The lecture? It went in one ear, then out the other. Not easy to figure that out. You got a lot of 'uh-huhs', or sounds similar. Hopeless mortal. Superboy looks at you, and laughs, "Not exactly. There are lots of different ways to reach the headquarters, but since this way is closest to your home, thought to show you this way." He then starts to lead the way that is restricted. He leads you to the tracks, and then into a man size tunnel from the tracks. "Oh wait..flashlight. I have enhanced sight, but can you see in the dark?" Elizraim looks...not entirely pleased with this either, but follows nevertheless. As they approach the dark tunnel, ey shakes its head. "I cannot..." Although given eir general irritation, there is at least a little light in the tunnel now, from eir softly-glowing hair and eyes. Not much, though...probably about the same as a small candle. Ey crosses eir arms, and the glow gets just a bit brighter as eir irritation rises a little more. "I suppose I shall now be forced to wait down here as you rush off to find what you have forgotten. Be quick about it." Superboy grumbles, "I'd just lead you, but you wouldn't know how to get there...wait, your light should be enough to go by!" He then motions you forward, "Keep being mad at me!" That shouldn't be difficult, "You get brighter when you look annoyed." He then starts to lead the way, explaining the directions as he goes. If Elizraim wasn't already peeved enough, the realization that ey is being used as a light source pretty much does the trick. Seething, ey walks after Superboy, grudgingly taking off eir ballcap once they're totally out of sight in order to make sure the light spreads more evenly. (Incidentally, the light is silver.) "Were we in my homeland I would throw you in the dungeon for this. I would throw you in the dungeon for a very long time." "Luckily we aren't, and you are over reacting. We are friends after all." Superboy chuckles though, "I fear I do find it amusing that I can frustrate you without trying though. You can be so up-tight sometimes, but it's fine. That's what makes you, well, you." Basically, he wouldn't change you. He then comes to the wall in question. "This is the entrance. You just tap the bricks like so, and it opens." Superboy taps a few of the bricks in the wall, and with a scraping and grinding they begin to slide around, rearranging themselves into an archway where only a wall stood before. "I was raised to expect a certain level of respect...and if you think me a friend, I should expect that you would at least be decent enough to not use me as a torch!" Elizraim says, stamping after Superboy. When they come to the bricks, and Superboy taps them, ey blinks a bit, quieting down a little. Ey walks in, inspecting the wall a bit, curiously...a task made a bit more difficult by the fact that ey calms down a little, causing the light to die down a bit...until the fact that ey is having difficulty seeing gets em peeved again. "...I will admit that has a certain appeal." Like with any kid, the idea of a secret hideout with a fancy hidden door is kind of fun to Elizraim. Ey walks through the door into the Sanctum, pausing just inside to look it over with a critical eye. "Hm." Underground - The Sanctum - Nexus The Nexus of the Sanctum is an open central space, a long room with a rounded wall at the far end. The walls here are made up of polished black stone broken every ten feet by narrow strips of stainless steel that run from ceiling to floor. Each strip is inlaid with a row of square white panels no more than a few inches wide that provide light when needed, generally set to a comfortable level of steady illumination. Deep green granite tiles with veins of bright silver cover both floor and ceiling. Large panels in the wall slide aside to reveal doorways to other areas of the Sanctum, blending seamlessly into the walls when not open. The main entrance to the Sanctum opens into a simple lounge area furnished with a desk of stainless steel topped with laquered African Blackwood and three swiveling black leather armchairs. Just past this area is a large holographic projector set into the floor, currently displaying a large image of the Earth. On the other side of the pojector, a round enclosure is dominated by a large circular table of polished steel surrounded by more of the black chairs from the reception area with more holographic projectors set into the ceiling. Set into the center of each black wall panel in the alcove is a four-foot wide display case with a glass door. "You are not a tool or weapon Eym, you are my friend and teammate. And you didn't want to wait, that annoyed you. I forget other people don't have enhanced sight sometimes." Superboy then grins, "Neat place, huh? Just don't like Arrowette being down here without me or Impulse, cause of the structural issues. She doesn't have super powers." "Elizraim." Elizraim looks over at Superboy. "When we are not in costume, I am Elizraim. Eli if we are in public...otherwise, Elizraim." Ey doesn't seem annoyed specifically at that--ey is slowly calming down now--more just informing Superboy. "As for this place..." Ey looks about, taking a few more steps in. "...it...appears to be coming together well. I would of course prefer that technology be avoided, but if I must accept some of it for the sake of our alliance, I shall. Though I hope you have at least obtained the aid of the particularly skilled in that matter, so that there are no dangerous errors." Superboy says, "Sure Elizraim," and Superboy smiles at that. Only Impulse, Arowette, Matrix, and Superman know of his secret ID. He has been keeping it very quiet. "Technology is very much a requirement." He then says, "As are comlinks, so you can call for emergency aid and hear when emergency aid is called for," he advises you. "They are user friendly and I won't explain how they work. I realize you are umm...a technophobe, but we are going to have to work on getting you to use the basics for the team's safety." He then nods, "The meeting with Keth'ren fell through, so not sure on his skill level yet anyway. The comlinks were donated through a member, and are secure and safe to use." Elizraim sighs, but slowly nods. "I...shall at least attempt it. I do not trust such things, but Terra has been...helping, I suppose." Ey does actually look a little scared. "If it is necessary, I will try to accept its presence. However...I do ask that you not give it to me until we return to the hotel, so that I have what I need to ease my mind." "Actually, she donated them. So you know where it's coming from to boot." Superboy nods and gets one of the comlinks and pockets it in the new leather jacket he bought. He got tired of not having one. "Sure, I can give it to you when we get back. But at least you now know where HQ is, and you will have a way to contact team mates for help with the comlink," he advises. Elizraim nods. "They are from Terra? This is good. I believe she has a greater understanding of the forces mortals attempt to control than most." Ey looks about again, and then looks back towards the entrance. "How many entrances exist? And how durable are they?" "Just this one to my knowledge, as for durability? It has reinforcements, I can see that with my X-Ray vision. Honestly, the place is in need of repairs. I'm waiting for some information from Mr. Luthor about underground construction and to get ahold of Raven, before I attempt to do anything. I don't want it backfiring. If you have anything you can do to contribute, it would be appreciated." Elizraim nods. "Who is this Mr. Luthor? I seem to recall hearing the name..." Ey shrugs, shaking eir head. "I...have no knowledge of architecture. Were this my homeland, I could provide you with our finest materials and architects skilled in military construction...but here, I can provide no aid." Ey looks more than a little saddened by that, hanging eir head. "I only wondered if it would serve as an effective defense against my enemies, should they come hunting me." "He owns like a major corporation! He's on par with Stark Industries! But he owns LexCorp. It's a big technology corporation and military weapons manufacturer too." Superboy then shrugs, "The goal is not to get this place discovered, but that's one of the reasons we need a techie to be honest." Elizraim nods, slightly. "Unfortunately, if my enemies come, and I take refuge here, that will not be an option. My enemies will undoubtedly be able to locate me, and I them. Perhaps if there were more of my kind here, but...if you wish me to avoid this place in the event of their arrival, I shall understand." Ey shakes eir head, and finally looks back up at Superboy. "I have met Tony Stark. He is acceptable company, though I dislike his business. If this Luthor is willing to assist, I shall accept his aid, but I feel the same about his business as for Tony Stark's." Ey looks away. "...I suppose I can offer my aid in one way. I can become strong, and can fly...so I may assist with the...labor." It clearly hurt to offer that...Elizraim isn't at all used to manual labor. Ey is more the type to order that sort of thing than to do it. "Well, we will deal with it at that time," Superboy informs Elizraim. "Let's not lead them here unless we absolutely have to. This is going to be some of the members home, Impulse already lives here. I don't see why you can't come when your enemies are not around," he advises. "So don't avoid it." He then grins, "That would be great," he states. "Thunderstorm and I are pretty strong, but having more helping hands is great, and it may need more people than that to get a specific job done for all I know. Also, having backup in case the roof tries to fall on our head? Insanely useful," he half jests. Elizraim nods. "My hope is that they shall not arrive for some time in any event, but if they arrive it will be best to face them from the most defensible position." Ey frowns. "Is...this place so very unstable? It seems unwise for Impulse to live here, then." "I know, I'm concerned too. Vulcan is looking for a home, so I want to stablize the place as quickly as possible, but I have to know what I'm doing, and pissing off Raven, I heard was a very bad thing to do," Superboy explains. "What can you share about your enemies?" Elizraim frowns, thinking for a short while. "My enemies...I believe I have told you that I am royalty in my homeland...in fact, I am heir to the throne." Ey steps away, turning away from Superboy and looking at the ceiling. "There are those who disliked my parents' rule, and revolted. I was sent away so that I would be safe from the conflict. For the rebellion...I am an extremely important target, for many reasons." "So..." Superboy sounds concerned, "Are your parents alright right now? Is the battles still happening?" He frowns a bit, watching you through his sunglasses carefully. "I do not know," Elizraim says, shaking eir head. "I would assume that either the battles are ongoing, or the rebellion has won. If my parents had won, I would have been retrieved. But if the rebellion has won, they may not have anyone who fully understands the magic of the portal." Ey looks back over eir shoulder. "Do you understand why the rebels would come for me? I do not know how much you know of such things." "Because, if you returned, you would have a rightful claim to the throne and potentially could start another rebellion to overthrow the first rebellion," Superboy states. "Not difficult to grasp." He then says, "I'm sorry. To be away from your parents is bad enough I'm sure, but to not even know? I wish there was something we could do to help out." Elizraim nods. "Exactly. If the rebellion is ongoing, I am a valuable hostage. If it is over, I am a threat to the new ruler." Ey smiles, sadly. "But there is more which you must understand." Ey looks away again, bowing eir head. "The rebellion...though I know nothing of its leaders, I will say that rebellion against my parents could indeed be justified." A shake of Superboy's head, "I don't know your situation, I just assumed your parents would be like you. Eccentric, but...I don't know...good-hearted? But I'm clueless, so you will have to explain I'm afraid." He sounds patient however, and compassionate. He doesn't judge. Elizraim shakes eir head--sparing a moment for general displeasure at being called 'eccentric.' "My parents were...I believe the proper mortal word would be 'tyrants.' They mistreated their people, and did not accept the true responsibility of the ruler. The purpose of their subjects was simply to grant them whatever they desired. My eyes have been opened to this, over the years. Thus, a rebellion against such rulers can be considered justified. I do not blame the rebellion for their actions against my parents, or against me." Superboy lets out a dramatic sigh, "That seriously sucks. I'm sorry, I can't even begin to understand being I...don't really have any parents," he admits. "But you at least have a new family, one by choice, and one that will support you and defend you should there be a need." He offers his hand toward you, as if to shake. "We are important to one another now Eliz. Never forget that. Just try not to think of us as only a shield, think of us as comrades." Elizraim nods, slowly, and turns, taking Superboy's hand. "I shall never think of someone as only a shield," ey says, eyes narrowing at the thought...or maybe it was at something else. "Eliz''raim''. Please. I know you do not intend it so, but among my people, the shortening of a name is a grave insult. Should my enemies come, please keep this in mind...you might otherwise incite a battle when such things might not be needed." "So, to start a fight, shorten a name, check." A pause from Superboy after he shakes your hand firmly. "Oh, right you said to call you Eli if in public. Wait, isn't that a shortening of your name?" Now the Kid is lost again. "A necessary evil I am prepared to accept," Elizraim says, though from eir tone it is pretty clear ey doesn't like accepting it. "'Elizraim' sounds nothing like a mortal name. 'Eli,' by my understanding, does. Keeping your mortal authorities...and other dangerous people...from discovering my nature is of enough import that I accept the name for that purpose...and that purpose only." Ey thinks for a few moments, and then slowly nods to emself. "There is one further thing you must know. I shall understand if you do not wish to aid me in this--though if you do, I shall accept the help. I shall ask that you do not oppose me, however. If the rebellion has succeeded...I intend, one day, to return to my homeland and retake my throne. Justified rebellion or not...the throne is mine and I shall have it." Ey narrows eir eyes. "And...there are people upon which I must pass judgment." "Dude, people name their kids Coco and Star, I think you are safe," Superboy advises you. "If anyone asks, just say you had parents that loved wild names." But he shrugs, leaving the decision up to you. He hesitates at that, "I don't want to really hurt someone Elizraim, so it would depend on how you wish to achieve it, and what you mean by passing judgment." Elizraim nods. "Then we shall see when the time comes...but I highly doubt the rebels will hand the throne to me peacefully, after shedding blood to gain it themselves. Perhaps with evidence of overwhelming power..." Ey shrugs. "But that is for another time. As for the judgment...I have told you that I bear the rebellion no ill will for their actions against my parents, or against me." Eir eyes and hair suddenly light up once more as eir expression turns nearly to rage. "However, for the death of my trusted servant...for the death of my friend, Eym...I shall never forgive them. I shall find those responsible and shall preside over their trial for the crime of murder." A nod at that. "I understand. Let us discuss this as a team when the time comes Elizraim, if it does. We will listen to your case and consider it at that time," Superboy promises. Elizraim nods. "Until another time, then. And until that day comes we shall aid each other...and I hope that if at that time we must part ways, we may do so in friendship." Ey shakes eir head. "For now, I shall only ask that you assist me if the rebellion comes intent on harming me or taking me captive, and I shall not ask that you slay them, whatever their intent." The light fades again, as ey calms once more. "Have you anything else you must show me?" "Nope, let's head back home and discuss the comlink," Superboy says. "I'll explain how you use it, keeping it to the basics," he promises. Category:Logs